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The Steam Workshop is where CS2’s community maps live — surf and KZ maps, aim trainers, remakes of classic maps, and brand-new competitive layouts. Your dedicated server can download and host these maps directly from the Workshop, keep them updated, and rotate through entire collections. This guide covers the whole workflow.

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Finding Workshop and Collection IDs

Every Workshop item has a numeric ID in its page URL: 
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3070284539
                                                       ^^^^^^^^^^
                                                       Workshop ID
The same applies to collections (curated lists of maps) — open the collection page and copy the id from the URL. You’ll use these IDs in the commands below.

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Set Up a Steam Web API Key

CS2 dedicated servers may need a Steam Web API key to download Workshop content:
1

Create the key

Go to steamcommunity.com/dev/apikey, sign in, and register a key (any domain name works, e.g. localhost).
2

Add it to the startup parameters

In the Wasabi Hosting Game Panel, open your server’s Startup tab and add:
-authkey YOURAPIKEYHERE
3

Restart the server

The server can now fetch maps and collections from the Workshop.
Treat your API key like a password — don’t paste it in Discord or share config screenshots that include it.

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Hosting a Single Workshop Map

Run this in the server console (or via RCON), replacing the ID with your map’s Workshop ID: 
host_workshop_map 3070284539
The server downloads the map (first time only) and switches to it. To make the server boot into a workshop map, add the same command as a startup parameter: 
+host_workshop_map 3070284539

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Hosting a Workshop Collection

To run a whole collection (for example, a set of surf maps): 
host_workshop_collection 123456789
The server downloads the collection’s maps and starts on one of them, with the rest available for rotation and map changes. As a startup parameter: +host_workshop_collection 123456789.

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Changing Maps

CommandUse For
changelevel de_mirageSwitch to an official map already on the server
ds_workshop_changelevel <mapname>Switch to another map from the hosted workshop collection (by map name)
host_workshop_map <workshopID>Jump directly to any workshop map by ID
ds_workshop_listmapsList the workshop maps available in the current collection
Map names in a collection don’t always match the Workshop page title. Run ds_workshop_listmaps first to see the exact names ds_workshop_changelevel expects.

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Map Rotation Basics

For official maps, rotation is controlled by mapgroups — named lists of maps set at startup: 
+mapgroup mg_active +map de_inferno
When a match ends, the server moves through the maps in the active group. For workshop content, hosting a collection effectively becomes your rotation pool; many communities also add a plugin-based RTV/nominate system (via CounterStrikeSharp — see Admin Commands) so players vote on the next map.

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Keeping Maps Updated

Workshop maps are versioned by their authors. When your server restarts and loads a map via host_workshop_map or a collection, it checks the Workshop and downloads the latest version automatically. A simple way to stay current:
  • Schedule a daily restart in the Game Panel’s Schedules tab (quiet hours work best).
  • Because clients also fetch maps from the Workshop, players automatically get the matching version when they join.
If a map behaves strangely after an update, the author may have pushed a broken build — pin your rotation to alternatives until it’s fixed.

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Troubleshooting

Check that your -authkey startup parameter is set correctly and restart. Also confirm the Workshop item is public — private or friends-only items can’t be downloaded by servers.
Very large maps take time on first download. Clients download from Steam themselves — ask players to wait out the transfer, and keep your server’s restart schedule off peak hours so first-downloads happen early.
That command only works with maps in the currently hosted collection. Use ds_workshop_listmaps to see valid names, or host_workshop_map with the ID for maps outside the collection.

Host your map pool

CS2 server hosting from €9.99/month at Wasabi Hosting — NVMe storage makes workshop downloads and map switches fast.